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Where was God today?

December 31, 2010 — artaban7

When tragedy strikes one often hears the skeptic or atheist ask the question, “Where was God (while this was happening)?”

Today people throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area have reason to turn that question around. Given two days of unseasonably warm weather (up to 69 degrees), quite predictably the clashing cold and warm fronts caused a turbulent weather system to roll through the area, with a tornado and 50 mph winds causing extensive property damage.

They think over 25 homes were decimated in Sunset Hills, along a major stretch of road (four to five lanes) rarely ever empty. The photos show vehicles thrown into yards and residences, and some abodes leveled clear down to the foundations. Telephone poles are eerily slanted at 45 degree angles, and trees as large in trunk diameter at the base as a man is tall were toppled. In Fenton, a Catholic Church and school had roofing ripped off and flung. Roofs were ripped off homes in North St. Louis. Yet for the devastation, the power lines knocked down, the gas mains dangerously ruptured, there were only 2 minor injuries.

Should you wish to be awed by the miraculous lack of loss of life, you should see the aerial photos from one of the many local news channels.

So where was God today? He was hard at work keeping people safe. For all the warm weather that brought people outdoors, no one was struck by flying debris or sucked into a tornado. Many cars were tossed and homes leveled, but no one was in them, or in the path of their flight. Rain preceded the wind, yet for the downed power lines and conductive puddles, no one was shocked or electrocuted.

Consider that this unseasonable storm took place when the damaged church and school were on break. Consider that the normally busy roadway that has been shutdown for hours was free of most traffic, as people had the day off for New Year’s Eve. If there was any time you’d want a destructive storm to strike to lessen loss of life, this day would be it. Perfect timing.

And God was working through the news anchor that urged viewers to take their now homeless neighbors into their homes. He was working through the Salvation Army and religious charities that were finding shelter for the displaced, and taking up collections for the family of seven who had no insurance on their devastated home.